Artist documents the demolition of the Wimbledon Dog Track as it makes way for a new stadium

As she looks out of her studio window in London, artist Katharine Le Hardy can see the demolition of the Wimbledon Dog Track and what is being built in its place.

It was early 2018 when Katharine decided to focus her paintings on the local icon, and how the area might change over time. The Track ran its last race in two years ago and has since undergone demolition to make way for 600 new homes and a state-of-the-art AFC Wimbledon Stadium.

Katharine has been part of the ever-growing artist community based next door to the development for over 15 years and was granted exclusive access to the site by Galliard Homes throughout its stages of demolition. The body of work is a homage to, what was, London’s last iconic dog track and stands as a historical recording of the change in the local area and each work named after a dog who raced there.

She remarks: “Watching large sections of it being dismantled and taking on new forms as each layer of the building is stripped back to its bare bones has given me a whole different perspective on the scale and historical significance of this place.

“The vulnerability of a building reduced down to its naked shell has allowed me to capture moments which really highlight the passage of time.”

Back in the studio, Katharine has created a body of work that documents and records the final stages of the life of Wimbledon Dog Track. In homage to a bygone era, each work is named after a dog that raced there.

You can see the series at a new exhibition at the Northcote Gallery in South West London. Dog Days will run from 19 September until 6 October 2019.